essay on urbanization in pakistan

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Urbanisation in Pakistan

Published in The Express Tribune, June 5 th , 2019.

Pakistan has the highest rate of urbanisation in South Asia. According to the 2017 Population Census, 36.4% of the population lives in urban areas. The UN Population Division estimates that, by 2025, nearly half the country’s population will be living in cities. Urbanisation is generally considered to be closely related to economic growth, particularly in developed countries where they have often occurred in tandem. Globally, it is estimated that cities generate more than 80% of the global GDP. The more urbanised areas indicate higher per capita income and more employment opportunities. Urbanisation has positive impacts on technological innovation and economic progress.

Cumulatively, cities in Pakistan generate 55% of the GDP. Moreover, Pakistan generates 95% of its federal tax revenue from 10 major cities. Karachi alone generates 12-15% of Pakistan’s GDP and contributes 55% of the federal tax revenue of the country. Seven out of 10 major cities in Pakistan have larger per capita incomes than the average. Poverty in cities is generally lower (i.e. urban multi-dimensional poverty is one-sixth of that of rural areas).

However, recent research suggests that the relationship between urbanisation and growth is not automatic. Urbanisation in many developing countries has occurred without growth, jobs and productivity. Unplanned and unmanaged urbanisation has rather resulted into urban slums, environmental degradation, poverty and inequality. Pakistan too, is confronted with a host of urban challenges.

Pakistan has a huge housing deficit of nearly 10 million units and growing. Urban population growth in the country has not been matched by growth in housing units or equitable access to land, resulting in housing shortages and the growth of slums.

The current approach to urban housing has resulted in many challenges. The urban sprawl has eaten up vast stretches of fertile agricultural lands. The government’s recent policy initiative to promote “vertical” housing may address the issue of sprawl.

However, given Pakistan’s vulnerability to earthquakes and other natural hazards, the government will have to put in place an effective regime for building codes and their compliance to off-set the potential negative consequences of vertical housing.

The building codes should also require proper insulation of houses to save energy. Adequate parking facilities in high rise buildings, for instance, is an issue which should also be kept in mind. Cities, which have shown incredible growth globally, are also the ones that have a strong governance architecture. An empowered city government that has the mandate and authority to generate its own revenue and manage the delivery of municipal and other services, has been instrumental in rapid economic growth and the social development of cities.

Pakistan is yet to develop well-structured and financially empowered city governments. In a study we conducted in Islamabad, we found that the city government could generate a revenue of Rs15.3 billion from car parking fees alone.

Cities are the hub of economic activities, but they are also the biggest sources of carbon emissions. Estimates suggest that cities generate 2.1 billion tonnes of solid waste annually.

The ‘Clean-and-Green Campaign’ and ‘10 Billion Tsunami’ initiated by the current government are becoming global best practices. While these initiatives are worth-praising, cities need institutional setups to cope with environmental challenges.

Pakistan is fast becoming a water scarce country. It needs water recycling which is another potential area for public-private partnership. Pollution is a major urban challenge.

The benefits that growing urbanisation brings can only be maximised through well-researched national policies and plans. Financially autonomous city governments, who have control over generating revenue and their use, are key to economic growth, provision of public services for all and public service innovation.

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Urbanisation in Pakistan: causes and consequences

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Pakistan is the fastest urbanising country in South Asia, and the world’s sixth most populous country, with a projected population of 335 million by 2050, and an annual urbanisation rate of 3.06%. Simultaneously it is undergoing a demographic transition to a youthful country and is experiencing the growth of rapidly expanding primary (megacities, like Karachi) and secondary (smaller towns) urban centres as a result of rural–urban migrations. This paper uses refereed literature and expert interviews to explore the drivers of urbanisation, and the social and, particularly, political consequences and potential impacts the phenomenon in Pakistan. Focusing on the impact of urbanisation on electoral politics, one predicted key driver of change will be the ability of politicians to satisfy the younger, more educated population’s desire for improved public services, employment and social justice.

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The current level of urbanisation in Pakistan, approximately 33 percent in 1998, is not high by global standards.1 But it is commonly linked with unemployment, underemployment, shortage of housing, transport and other infrastructure like water supply and sewerage. Compared to other areas of population dynamics, such as fertility and mortality, studies in the field of urbanisation and internal migration in Pakistan are rather limited. During the last three decades hardly half a dozen studies could be added in the field of urbanisation. These studies are primarily based on data generated by the different censuses.2 After the 1979 Population Labour Force and Migration (PLM) Survey, no nationally representative survey addressing the issue of urbanisation and internal migration could be carried out. Even regional studies could not be conducted during the last two decades.

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What public policies and programmes have been followed in dealing with mounting urban crisis in Pakistan over the past 50 years? This question has been addressed in the present article. Pakistan's urban policies fall in three distinct phases, corresponding to evolving political and economic regimes. Yet, they show a fundamental continuity in that they have been driven by 'plots and public works' strategy. Pakistan has not been lacking in 'up-to-date' policies and programmes. Its urban policies have resulted in notable achievements and pervasive failures. The paper assesses both the achievements and shortfalls and identifies private interests that have benefited at the cost of public welfare.

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Karachi is one of the fastest growing city in the world. Since the independence of Pakistan, Karachi has emerged as a mega polis catering to the largest population in all across the country. Karachi has earned the reputation of melting pot of all ethnic shades of Pakistan. The city also serves as the financial capital of Pakistan. All banks, financial institutions, national and international organizations have their headquarters in Karachi. It also has the highest literacy rate in Pakistan. However all this was not achieved without a cost. Due to its development more and more people from all across Pakistan still want to make Karachi their destination for fulfilment of their dreams. This constant migration into the city has made it the most unmanageable city of Pakistan too. The authorities fail to provide services to its citizens on the pretext of lack of funding and incapacity. This study focuses on the issues faced by Karachi and indirectly by Pakistan due to the ever increasing ...

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Proper Urbanization Can Yield Economic Benefits for Pakistan

LAHORE, December 5, 2015 – Urbanization provides Pakistan with the potential to transform its economy to join the ranks of richer nations, but the country, like others in South Asia, has so far struggled to make the most of that opportunity, says a new World Bank report.

Leveraging Urbanization in South Asia: Managing Spatial Transformation for Prosperity and Livability was presented at the third Pakistan Urban Forum. Difficulty in dealing with the pressures that increased urban populations put on infrastructure, basic services, land, housing and the environment has fostered what the report calls “messy and hidden” urbanization in Pakistan and throughout the region.  This, in turn, has helped to constrain Pakistan’s full realization of the prosperity and livability benefits of urbanization.

“Properly managed urbanization can enhance both the prosperity and livability of cities,” says, Peter Ellis, Lead Urban Economist at the World Bank . “This is certainly the case for Pakistan, which is the most urbanized large country in South Asia and derives so much of its economic growth from cities.”

Estimates indicate that cities generate up to 78 percent of Pakistan’s gross domestic product and the government’s Vision 2025 places a premium on urban job growth. Planning ahead for urban growth can help create vibrant and productive cities that fuel the country’s growth, but that will require dealing with the problems posed by the country’s messy and hidden urbanization to date.

Messy urbanization in Pakistan is reflected in the existence of low-density sprawl and the fact that cities are growing outward beyond administrative boundaries, creating challenges for planning, transportation and the provision of public services.  It also reflected in the widespread existence of poverty and slums.  In Pakistan in 2010, about one in eight urban dwellers lived below the national poverty line and an estimated 46.6 percent of the urban population lived in slums.

Hidden urbanization, the report said, stems from official national statistics understating the share of the population living in areas with urban traits. Officially, 36 percent of Pakistanis lived in urban settlements in 2010 but the World Bank estimates that the actual share of the population living in areas with urban characteristics may be as high as 55 percent. Acknowledging the true extent of urban areas can help to facilitate better planning and metropolitan management.

Failure to address these problems can make cities less livable. Pakistan faced an urban housing shortage of approximately 4.4 million units in 2010. The 2015 livability index of the Economist Intelligence Unit ranked Karachi 135 th out of 140 cities; Dhaka was the only major city in South Asia with a lower ranking.

Since the turn of the century, Pakistan has seen a net decline in multi-city agglomerations – defined as continuously lit belts of urbanization containing two or more cities with a population each in excess of 100,000 – as the formation of new agglomerations was outpaced by the merging of existing ones. The Lahore agglomeration, for example, expanded to absorb those of Chiniot, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Lalamusa and Sialkot. In fact, the Lahore agglomeration meets its Delhi equivalent to form one continuously lit belt with an estimated population of 73.4 million, slightly less than the population of Turkey.

“Taking steps to help Pakistan’s cities to realize their potential is critical as the country’s urban population is expected to increase by approximately 40 million people to an estimated 118 million by 2030,” says Patchamuthu Ilangovan, World Bank Country Director for Pakistan . “The concentration of economic activity that accompanies such agglomerations improves productivity and spurs job creation – if the pressures posed by urbanization are properly addressed.”

To better tap into the economic potential that urbanization offers, the World Bank report said policymakers in Pakistan and the rest of South Asia should consider actions at two levels – the institutional level and the policy level. At the institutional level, Pakistan would benefit from improvements in the ways in which towns and cities are governed and financed. Specifically, the report said reform is required to address three fundamental urban governance deficits – in empowerment, resources and accountability:

·         Intergovernmental fiscal relations must be improved to address empowerment.

·         Practical ways must be identified to increase the resources available to local governments to allow them to perform their mandated functions.

·         Mechanisms must be strengthened to hold local governments accountable for their actions.

While a necessary pre-condition for meaningful progress, however, these reforms by themselves will not, according to the report, suffice.  To tackle messy urbanization and bring about lasting improvements in both prosperity and livability, policies are also required to improve the ways in which Pakistan’s cities are connected and planned, the working of land and housing markets, and cities’ resilience to natural disasters and the effects of climate change. 

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Essay on Urbanization for Students and Children

500 words essay on urbanization.

Urbanization refers to the movement of the population from rural areas to urban areas. It is essentially the gradual increase in the proportion of people living in urban areas. Furthermore, urbanization is quite a popular trend in the contemporary world. Moreover, people mostly undertake urbanization due to more work opportunities and a better standard of living. According to the expert prediction, by 2050, 64% of the developing world and 86% of the developed world will be urbanized.

Causes of Urbanization

First of all, political causes play a big role in urbanization. Many people get forced to leave rural areas for urban areas due to political unrest. Therefore, many families go to urban areas in search of food, shelter, and employment .

Another important cause of urbanization is an economic cause. Furthermore, poverty is a widespread phenomenon in rural areas. Moreover, farmers are finding it very hard to earn enough money and make a living. Consequently, rural people move to urban areas in search of better job opportunities.

Education is a strong cause of urbanization. Urban areas offer opportunities for seeking high-quality education. Moreover, urbanization offers opportunities for studying at universities and technical colleges. Such handsome education opportunities attract many young people in rural areas to move to urban areas.

Environmental degradation also plays a part in contributing to urbanization. Deforestation destroys the natural habitat of many farming families. Furthermore, mining and industrial expansion also harm the natural habitat of farming families.

The social cause is another notable reason for urbanization. Many young rural people migrate to urban areas in order to seek a better lifestyle. Moreover, many young people want to escape the conservative culture of rural areas. Most noteworthy, urban areas offer a more easy-going liberal lifestyle. Furthermore, cities have clubs to attract youth.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Benefits of Urbanization

First of all, urban areas are much more efficient in providing resources than rural areas. Important and basic amenities like housing, clean water, and electricity are easily available in urban areas.

People in urban areas find it quite easy to access to various important services. Most noteworthy, these services are high-quality education, expert health care, convenient transportation, entertainment, etc. Furthermore, some or all of the services are unavailable in rural areas.

Urban areas offer better employment opportunities. Furthermore, these employment opportunities are the result of industrialization and commercialization.

Urban areas play a critical role as creators and disseminators of knowledge. This is because of the highly connected urbanized world. Most noteworthy, the geographical proximity of people in urban areas helps in the propagation of ideas.

Urban areas enjoy the benefits of technological development. Furthermore, many types of technologies get implemented in urban areas. Moreover, urban people quickly get in touch with the latest technology. In contrast, many rural individuals remain ignorant of many types of technologies.

To sum it up, urbanization is a process which is on a continuous rise. Furthermore, urbanization ensures the transformation of rural culture into urban culture. Moreover, the government must be vigilant to the rapidly increasing urbanization. A fully urbanized world looks like the ultimate destiny of our world.

FAQs on Urbanization

Q1 State any two causes for urbanization?

A1 Any two causes for urbanization are high-quality education and good job opportunities in urban areas.

Q2 Why urban areas offer better employment opportunities?

A2 Urban areas offer better employment opportunities due to high industrialization and commercialization.

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Advancing social justice, promoting decent work ILO is a specialized agency of the United Nations

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ILO Working paper 107

This study uses household survey data from 58 countries around the world to compare the labour market outcomes of rural and urban workers, taking into account the specific socio-demographic characteristics of rural populations. It also provides an overview of the legal frameworks that can be used to address rural-urban employment and wage disparities.

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• Sévane Ananian, Giulia Dellaferrera
• ISBN: 9789220404423 (print)
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• ISBN: 9789220404447 (epub)
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• https://www.ilo.org/static/english/intserv/working-papers/wp107/index.html
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Washington Memo

Gallows Humor and Talk of Escape: Trump’s Possible Return Rattles Capital

At Washington dinner parties, dark jokes abound about where to go into exile if the former president reclaims the White House.

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By Peter Baker

Peter Baker reported from Washington, where he has long lived and has been a journalist for most of the past four decades.

It has become the topic of the season at Washington dinner parties and receptions. Where would you go if it really happens?

Portugal, says a former member of Congress. Australia, says a former agency director. Canada, says a Biden administration official. France, says a liberal columnist. Poland, says a former investigator.

They’re joking. Sort of. At least in most cases. It’s a gallows humor with a dark edge. Much of official Washington is bracing for the possibility that former President Donald J. Trump really could return — this time with “retribution” as his avowed mission , the discussion is where people might go into a sort of self-imposed exile.

Whether they mean it or not, the buzz is a telling indicator of the grim mood among many in the nation’s capital these days. The “what if” goes beyond the normal prospect of a side unhappy about a lost election. It speaks to the nervousness about a would-be president who talks of being a dictator for a day , who vows to “root out” enemies he called “vermin,” who threatens to prosecute adversaries, who suggests a general he deems disloyal deserves “DEATH ,” whose lawyers say he may have immunity even if he orders the assassination of political rivals.

“I feel like in the past two weeks that conversation for whatever reason has just surged,” said Miles Taylor, a former Trump administration official who became a vocal critic of the former president . “People are feeling that it’s very obvious if a second Trump term happens, it’s going to be slash and burn.”

That’s all fine with Mr. Trump and his allies. In their view, Washington’s fear is the point. He is the disrupter of the elite. He is coming to break up their corrupt “uniparty” hold on power. If establishment Washington is upset about the possibility that he returns, that is a selling point to his base around the country that is alienated from the people in power.

Washington, of course, has never been fertile Trump territory. He won just 5 percent of the vote in the nation’s capital in 2020, and it is hardly surprising that the governing class is unsettled by attacks on “the deep state.” Even many Republicans in the capital are nervous about Mr. Trump. The District of Columbia has so far been the only place other than Vermont to support Nikki R. Haley over Mr. Trump in this year’s Republican primaries .

But Mr. Trump’s flirtation with authoritarian figures and language has raised the specter of a Washington vastly different even than during his first term, when he was at times restrained by establishment Republicans, military officers and career civil service officials who are less likely to surround him in a second. His rhetoric this time around has centered more than before on power and how he would increase it and use it if he won again.

“The rest of America may not take what he says seriously,” said former Representative Stephanie Murphy , Democrat of Florida, “but I think you’re hearing the uncomfortable chatter in Washington among Democrats and Republicans because they understand having worked with him in the past that when he says something he means it.”

Ms. Murphy, who served on the House committee that investigated the events of Jan. 6, 2021, did not hesitate when asked about her Plan B. “Portugal,” she said promptly. She has thought it through. Portugal has a lot of appeal — beautiful, charming and less expensive than elsewhere in Europe — and is on many lists in Washington.

There is a spectrum of how serious people really are. Ms. Murphy said in her case it is mostly mordant humor. “I think I’m being flippant because I would like to think I wouldn’t have to be a refugee for the second time in my life from political persecution,” said the former congresswoman, whose family escaped Vietnam when she was a child.

David Urban, a Trump ally who worked on his 2016 and 2020 campaigns, said apprehensive Washingtonians have gotten themselves into a dither because they cannot “look past the bluster to the substance” and are suffering from “Trump derangement syndrome.”

“The chattering class is freaking out,” he said. “There are plenty of people who see the dark side of the moon with Trump. And there’s a good contingency in Washington who can’t wait for him to get here.”

He added: “They really think it’s going to be the end of democracy as we know it, and I think it’s misplaced.” In fact, Mr. Urban said, a new Trump presidency would still be subject to checks and balances that would restrain any extreme impulses. “There are plenty of grown-ups, plenty of serious people who will want to roll in a second Trump administration.”

Moreover, for all the doomsday talk inside the Beltway this spring, plenty of people have made vows to flee in the past if the candidate they opposed won, whether it was George W. Bush for the left or Barack Obama for the right, without actually following through.

“Every four years, whenever it looks like a Republican might win, Democrats rev up the ‘I will leave America’ rhetoric. Yet none of them ever do,” said Douglas Heye, a Republican strategist. “This might be more of an attention-getting tactic.”

But many in Washington speculating about travel plans are not seeking publicity. Indeed, many who discussed it in recent days did so only if guaranteed that their names would not be used for fear of making themselves more of a target.

The range and seniority of people who talk about it is striking. They include current and former White House officials, cabinet secretaries, members of Congress, agency directors, intelligence and law enforcement officials, military officers, political strategists and journalists. The topic came up repeatedly at the swirl of Washington soirees surrounding the recent White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.

One person high on Mr. Trump’s enemies list said that getaway planning is a regular matter of discussion among those targeted over the years on the former president’s social media accounts. Another favorite Trump target said it is raised “over and over again,” particularly among spouses of those seen at risk. A European ambassador said it comes up at least twice a week with Washington figures joking about needing asylum.

“It’s definitely been a topic of conversation,” said Steven A. Cook, a Middle East scholar at the Council on Foreign Relations. Mr. Cook has no personal reason to fear Mr. Trump’s “retribution” but dreads the onset of a more autocratic form of government like that he has seen in places like Egypt and Pakistan.

His possible refuge? Abu Dhabi, he said, acknowledging the irony that “a little Jewish kid from Long Island” might feel safer in the United Arab Emirates than his homeland.

“Perhaps because we’re in Washington and it’s a bubble, maybe we’re overplaying it,” Mr. Cook said. “But it’s not as hard to imagine as it once was. Until relatively recently, I shared the idea that the United States was sprinkled in fairy dust and it couldn’t happen here. But too much has happened and maybe it could.”

With Mr. Cook, leaving is just talk for now. But others are going further. They have researched family history to see if they could qualify for a passport from, say, Ireland, Poland or Germany. They have been updating passports and looking for property to buy in Europe. Some have hired lawyers to explore their options.

David A. Andelman, 79, a longtime journalist who already lives part-time in France, wrote on CNN’s website this past week that he and his wife might move there full-time if Mr. Trump wins and had “found a growing sentiment that we are hardly alone.” The day that his column posted online, he said, his real estate broker in France received 45 calls from Americans looking to do the same.

A lawyer who has clashed with Mr. Trump is among those who have been studying his European roots in case he needs to establish residency. The conversation, he said, has gone from a knowing joke to prudent contingency planning. It would be “madness to dismiss” the risk, he said.

A former government official who angered Mr. Trump said it is not a trivial conversation or purely humor. While this person expressed optimism that American institutions would prevent major injustices, anyone targeted by Mr. Trump could still be made “miserable” by investigations, grand juries, lawyer fees and career-killing publicity.

Brian Katulis, a scholar at the Middle East Institute who has worked at the National Security Council, the State Department and the Pentagon, said a friend from the Obama administration recently went to London and scoped out possible real estate and schools.

“My view is a little less hair on fire,” he said, expressing faith in the country’s resiliency. “I’m going to ride this ship if it goes down, dumping buckets overboard. I don’t think it’s sinking. But if it starts going in that direction, my attitude is not to jump off the ship. We don’t have better places to go.”

Peter Baker is the chief White House correspondent for The Times. He has covered the last five presidents and sometimes writes analytical pieces that place presidents and their administrations in a larger context and historical framework. More about Peter Baker

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A partisan battle in Ohio has stalled an effort by state lawmakers to ensure that President Biden is on the ballot  in the state this November, teeing up what could be an expensive and protracted legal battle ahead of this year’s election.

Donald Trump told a group of oil executives and lobbyists that they should donate $1 billion to his presidential campaign  because, if elected, he would roll back environmental rules that he said hampered their industry.

Biden announced the creation of an A.I. data center in Wisconsin , highlighting one of his administration’s biggest economic accomplishments in a battleground state — and pointing to a significant failure by former President Donald Trump.

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R.F.K. Jr. Signature Gatherers:  More than half a dozen New York City residents described encounters with people seeking  their signature who did not make clear that their aim was to place the independent 2024 candidate on the ballot.

Sensing Shift on Abortion:  Are Latinas — once considered too religious or too socially conservative to support abortion rights — changing their views on the issue? Demorcats are optimistic .

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